Tree Surveys Need to be Dealt with Accuracy and Diligence
Tree surveys are often taken care of by professional environmental consultancy which is well-versed with an evolving and expanding filed called Arboriculture. Arboriculture aims at managing the trees and shrubs in both town and countryside. The techniques that include in managing the trees are tree selection, planting, care and removal. Though, the basic aim of tree survey is to maintain and protect individual trees, requirements in urban and rural area differ.
It is important to make sure that there should not be any damage or harm due to structural failure of the tree. It is also important that trees which are adjacent to the congested areas need to be assessed periodically as they may be prone to structural defect. It is because of this reason tree surveys are important to be carried out. The major reason behind carrying out such surveys is to gauge the potential risk that the tree might be carrying with regard to adjacent residences or commercial buildings. An experienced arboriculturist records all the necessary information about the tree on a site and that too before any design or planning. The results are expected to be included in the preparation of a tree constraints plan (TCP). The TCP is generally used to assist the site layout design. The survey categorizes the trees and these categories decide what should be done to the trees. For example, if the tree is in R category, those trees are considered to be in a condition that their present value will be lost within 10 years and therefore they need to be removed as part of the accurate arboriculture judgment. There are trees which belong to A category and they can make a substantial contribution i.e. minimum of 40 years. Trees belonging to category B are of moderate category and can make up to 20 years contribution. The category C is of the trees that are of low quality and value. Such trees have the value of 10 years and can be there until new planting is done.
Since tree surveys are not the responsibility of the State, it is necessary that they have to be taken care of by professional environmental consultancy. Such consultancies exactly know what Arboriculture is and what steps are needed for the maintenance and management of the trees. It is also to be noted that each site requires different and unique approach to undertake tree survey. If you take the help of such professional consultancy, it is necessary that it knows this fundamental principle to offer customized solutions for tree survey that may include site clearance. Any esteemed and professional environmental consultancy provides services such as the preparation of tree survey schedules, tree constraints plans, arboricultural implications assessments, arboricultural method statements and tree protection plans to aid the design and application stages of any scheme where trees are or could be a constraint. Such services in U.K. are provided in reference to the Town and Country Planning Act and BS 5837: 2005 ‘Trees in relation to construction - Recommendations’. Hence, tree surveys are not just about surveying the trees, but it also encompasses monitoring and supervision of the trees throughout the demolition and construction process.
